Ti3+ self-doped mesoporous black TiO2/SiO2 nanocomposite as remarkable visible light photocatalyst

Ti3+ self-doped mesoporous black TiO2/SiO2 composite is successfully synthesized by a solvothermal reaction, followed by calcination at 450 degrees C and hydrogenation at 500 degrees C. The structures and morphologies of the resultant samples are investigated. The consequences suggest that Ti3+ self-doped mesoporous black TiO2/SiO2 composites have a high surface area of similar to 300 m(2) g(-1), a relative large pore size of 4 nm and pore volume of similar to 0.35 cm(3) g(-1). The introduction of SiO2 stabilizes the mesoporous networks and prevents the collapse of the channels during the calcination process, which not only improves the crystallinity of TiO2, but also maintains the mesoporous frameworks. The prepared composite with narrow bandgap of similar to 2.79eV exhibits outstanding property for removal of dye and the production of H-2 under AM 1.5 irradiation, which is higher compared with the pristine TiO2 composite. This is attributed to the Ti3+ self doping reducing the bandgap and benefiting the absorption of visible light, the mesoporous frameworks favoring the diffusion of reactants and products, and providing abundant surface active sites. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.